Nursery bottle holder



y 23, 3953 J. H. CHAMBERS 2,646,952

NURSERY BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Aug. 20, 1951 JAMES H. CHAMBERS lNl ENTOR HUEBNER, BE'EHLER,

WORREL 8 HERZ/G ,4 TTORNEKS Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NURSERY BOTTLE HOLDER James H. Chambers, Fresno, Calif.

Application August 20, 1951, Serial No. 242,601

2 Claims. (01. 248107) The present invention relates to bottle holders and more particularly to an improved nursery bottle holder especially suited to the maintenance of milk bottles and the like for nursing infants in adjustable positions for convenient access.

It is the usual practice for an attendant to hold nursery bottles in convenient positions with respect to the mouths of infants so that the infants can draw milk or other contents from the bottles. Because of the frequent infant feedings required and the slow rate of feedin that is sometimes achieved, the task of holding nursery bottles for infant feeding is time consuming and not infrequently fatiguing for the attendant.

It has been a well known practice to prop nursery bottles on pillows or other supports in positions intended for infant convenience but such procedure has not been entirely satisfactory because of the ease with which the bottles are displaced, become inaccessible to the infant, and inadvertently discharge their contents onto the infants garments or bedding when displaced.

Various types of holders for nursery bottles have been tried from time to time with mixed success. Such holders have been subject to general disadvantages which the subject invention is believed to have overcome.

An object of the present invention is to provide a nursery bottle holder of sufiicient ductility to permit adjustment to infant convenience by distortion of the initial form thereof.

Another object is to provide an improved nursery bottle holder which is conveniently supported for infant use on such surfaces as provided by the table portions of highchairs, crib bedding, pillows and the like.

Another object is to provide a nursery bottle holder of the character described having base loops conveniently pinned, stitched or otherwise secured to an infants bedding or other material.

Another object is to provide a nursery bottle holder that is conveniently collapsed for storage or carrying in a compact condition.

Another object is to provide a nursery bottle holder adapted to a wide range of economical production methods such as fabrication from ductile wire material by bending operations, molding from suitable casting material, die-cutting, stamping and the like.

Further objects are to provide a nursery bottle holder that is simple in construction, sanitary, economical to produce and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequent description in the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a nursery bottle holder embodying the principles of the present invention shown in supporting relation to a nursery bottle borne in an attitude normally convenient to infant feeding.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the holder collapsed for compact storage or carrying.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a holder embodying the principles of the present invention endwardly extended and flattened to demonstrate a form in which it is conveniently cast, stamped, or otherwise formed from ductile material.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing:

Although the holder of the present invention may be formed by casting, cutting, stamping or other operations, as indicated, it is preferably fabricated from a single continuous length of metal wire or wire-like material possessing adequate ductility for convenient bending thereof. In Fig. 1, the holder is indicated generally at H! in supporting relation to a nursery bottle I l. The holder generally consists of a closed circular loop I2, a U-shaped yoke l3 aligned with the closed loop. a base l4, forward support legs [5 and rearward support legs Hi. The base [4 consists of a pair of spaced elongated substantially parallel elements of the wire material indicated at IT. As will subsequently be described in greater detail, a significant aspect of the instant invention is the provision of endwardly and outwardly extended open loops [8 between the legs 15 and I6 and the portions ll of the base M. The open loops are in a plane common to the base [4 and by tortional bending thereof accommodate collapsing of the yoke l3 and closed loop l2, as shown in Fig. 3, for compact storage and carrying as well as outward bending of the closed loop l2 and yoke I3, as shown in Fig. 4, when desired.

More particularly the holder is preferably formed of a single continuous length of ductile wire material return bent upon itself to form the substantially circular closed loop I2. The wire provides portions adjacent to the loop radially extended therefrom in overlapping relation defining a loop supporting throat 2|. One of the portions terminates in the throat and the other is angularly extended from the throat in the plane of the loop to provide one of the forward legs I5.

As clearly evident in Fig. 2, an open loop I8 is formed at the extended end of the front leg in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the closed loop'and constitutes a supporting foot for the holder. One of the base elements I! is extended from the open loop in the plane thereof in a direction axially of the closed loop l2. A second open loop [8 is formed at the extended end of the base element.

A rearward leg [6 is extended from the second open loop [8 in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the open loops and the base I4. The U-shaped yoke I3 is formed at the extended end of the rearward leg. A second rearward leg 16 is extended from the yoke in spaced relation to the first mentioned rearward leg. The rearward legs and the yoke preferably are arranged in a common plane substantially parallel to the plane of the closed loop and substantially normal to the plane of the base M and open loops [3. A third open loop is formed at the extended end of the last mentioned rearward leg I6 and a second base element l! extended from said loop in par allel relation to the first mentioned base element. A fourth open loop is formed at the extended end of the second base portion and a second forward leg I extended from the last mentioned open loop in the plane of the closed loop and secured in overlapping relation to the portions of the wire material in the throat l2.

The location of the opposite ends of the wire material of which the holder is formed in the throat 2! permits the convenient securing of the ends and dependable closing of the loop l2 by solder 22, or other convenient means.

The description of the formation of the holder provided for illustrative convenience is intended to describe the structure and in no way to limit the subject invention to any specific productive procedure. At present, the holder is most economically constructed for commercial purposes of galvanized or other suitable wire preferably of approximately 14 gauge and is formed in a bending jig which does not constitute a part of the present invention and is thus not shown nor described herein.

Operation The operation of the device of the present invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. If the holder is formed by stamping or casting operations in the form shown in Fig. 4 the yoke l3 and closed loop l2 are first upwardly bent so that the holder assumes the form shown in Fig. 2. If formed by bending operations, as described, its initial form is that shown in Fig. 2.

The bottle I l is supported in the holder by the insertion of the nipple and neck thereof through the closed loop [2 and by resting of the base of the bottle in the yoke I3. The forward legs [5 are preferably shorter than the rearward legs [6 so that the bottle is inclined for nursing convenience. Inasmuch as the holder is formed of ductile material, the holder may be conveniently adjusted for use, as desired, by bending portions thereof.

The base [A may be rested on any suitable support surface and is conveniently pinned, stitched or otherwise secured to an infants bedding or the like by means of the open loops I8.

To store the holder or to collapse the same for convenient carrying in a purse or the like, the closed loop l2 and yoke I3 are folded downwardly into the plane of the base between the elements I1. During such foldable movement, the open loops [8 are subjected to a torsional bending which retains the yoke and closed loop in folded position. For re-use, the closed loop l2 and yoke 13 are simply returned to their upright positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by torsionally rebending the open loops IS. The configuration of the open loops permits almost unlimited repetition of the tortional bending thereof before fatigue of the material of which they are formed, such as metal wire, plastic, or the like, becomes significant.

The holder of the present invention is simple in form, speedily and enonomically produced, adjustable, dependably supportable for use, and compactly collapsed for storage or carrying.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A collapsible holder for nursery bottles comprising a single continuous length of ductile wire material return bent upon itself to form a substantially circular closed loop, the wire material having portions adjacent to the loop radially extended therefrom in overlapping relation defining a loop supporting throat, one of the portions terminating in the throat and the other being angularly extended from the throat in the plane of the loop providing a front leg, an open loop formed at the extended end of the front leg in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the closed loop, an elongated base element extended from the open loop in the plane thereof and directionally axially of the closed loop, an open loop formed at the extended end of the base element, a rear leg extended substantially normally from the last mentioned loop, a U-shaped yoke formed at the extended end of the rear leg, a second rear leg extended from the yoke in spaced relation to the first mentioned rear leg, the rear legs and yoke lying in a common plane substantially parallel to the plane of the closed loop, an open loop formed at the extended end of the second rear leg in the plane of the aforesaid open loops, an elongated second base portion extended from the last mentioned open loop in parallel relation to the first mentioned base portion, an open loop formed at the extended end of the 'second base portion in the plane of the other open loops, and a second front leg extended from the last mentioned open loop in the plane of the closed loop and secured in overlapping relation to the portions of the wire material overlapped in the throat.

2. A collapsible holder for nursery bottles comprising a single continuous length of ductile wire material return bent upon itself to form a substantially circular closed loop, the wire material having portions adjacent to the loop radially extended therefrom in overlapping relation defining a loop supporting throat, two portions of the wire material being angularly and divergently extended from the throat in the plane of the loop and providing a pair of front legs, an open loop formed at the extended end of each of the front legs in a common plane substantially normal to the plane of the closed loop, a pair of substantially parallel elongated base elements individually extended from the open loops in the plane thereof and in a direction parallel to the axis of the closed loop, an open loop formed at the extended end of each of the base elements,

a rear leg extended substantially normal from Number each of the last mentioned open loops, and a 916,255 U-shaped yoke interconnecting the extended ends 1,239,109 of the rear legs, the rear legs and the yoke lying 1374,667 in a common plane substantially parallel to the 5 1,636,847 plane of the closed loop. 2,092,526

JAMES H. CHAMBERS. 2,574,442

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 666,227 Bradbury Jan. 15, 1901 6 Name Date Barrows Mar. 23, 1909 Klauberg Sept. 4, 1917 La Paugh Apr. 12, 1921 Bulkley July 26, 1927 Aprile Sept. 7, 1937 Turner Nov. 6, 1951 

